OSHA Cites Ohio Employer After Supervisor's Death

The man was injured when he was struck by a metal door.

Oct 07, 2014

According to a news release, OSHA has cited Certified Heat Treating Inc. of Miamisburg, Ohio, for 10 serious violations, many of which involve confined space and lockout/tagout standards, after a 48-year-old supervisor was fatally injured when he was struck by a metal door while performing maintenance.

"If Certified Heat Treating had followed established safety procedures, this tragedy might have been prevented,” said Bill Wilkerson, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati. "No worker should lose their life because an employer decided to cut corners on safety."

The supervisor had tightened a nut on an elevator cylinder inside an oil-filled quench tank chamber when the outer metal door came down. The door struck his chest and made it impossible for him to breathe. OSHA's investigation found that the company failed to isolate an energy source on the outer metal door, implement lockout/tagout procedures, or install an adequate restraining device to prevent the door from operating during service and maintenance. Also, workers were inadequately trained on specific procedures to prevent such incidents, and periodic inspections of equipment were not conducted, according to OSHA.

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